This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate.

As with all essential oils, never use them undiluted. Some people have sensitivity reactions to essential oils. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier.) Please consult a health care professional if you have any serious medical conditions. Be well!

Friday, October 21, 2011

My husband often develops painful cracks in his heels and usually requests a batch of my Healing Heel Crack Salve. This recipe is very easy to create and is chock full of beneficial oils. Apply a layer of this salve to your heels and sleep in a pair of wool socks and you will be on your way to supple soft feet in no time. My husband likes to use a pumice stone once a week to help eliminate the dry skin build-up. Do not use on open wounds or broken skin. Sometimes cracks in your heels can be a sign of a more serious problem than just dry skin, make sure you visit your doctor if in doubt.

Place a canning ring in a pot of about 3 inches of water. Bring water to a simmer.

Measure out the following ingredients into a 4-cup capacity glass measuring cup.

Once the Essential Oils are blended into the base, transfer to a sterilized jar. Cap tightly. Use a clean utensil to take out the desired amount of product. Keep out of direct light and heat. Use within 3 months.

This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate.

As with all essential oils, never use them undiluted. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier. Please consult a health care professional if you have any serious medical conditions. Be well!

I am rather hooked on crafting my own infused oils. I believe I might be drawn to the positive healing energy and vibrations that I sense while I work with medicinal plants and oils. Tis’ the season for dry skin and I plan to formulate a healing salve with this batch of Nettle Leaf & Plantain Leaf Infused Macadamia Oil. I chose the two healing herbs since Nettle Leaf is well-known to make an excellent treatment infused oil for stressed and sensitive skin. Plantain infused oil offers relief to skin that is inflamed and is usually well tolerated by most skin types. It is often incorporated into healing salves for swelling, scarring, bruises and bug bites. Some folks swear by its anti-aging properties. Macadamia Nut Oil is a priceless delight for the skin and has proven itself to be one of the best regenerative oils available.

Weigh out 15 grams of both dried Nettle and dried Plantain leaf. Grind both in a spice grinder to form a fine powder.

Place the powder in a sterilized glass canning jar. Add about 5 ounces of Macadamia Oil to cover to top of the herb powder.

Use a clean wooden stick to swirl the air bubbles out of the mixture. Any trapped air can very likely cause your oil to turn rancid quickly.

Tightly cap with the lid and give a gentle shake. Label a paper bag with the date you crafted the oil, the ingredients and the date it will be ready (usually 2 weeks later).

If it is during the cooler time of the year, place the oil in the bag and over a heater vent (not near a heat source that will catch fire to the bag!). If it is during the warmer part of the year, place the oil in the bag and in a window that receives warm sunshine. Gently shake your oil a few times per day. You can infuse your oil for longer than two weeks if you like. When you are ready, strain the herb away from the oil and bottle the oil in an amber colored bottle(s). Massage into your skin or incorporate it into beauty recipes such as lotions and salves.

You can find all the ingredients for making this wonderful plant infused oil over at Mountain Rose Herbs!

For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. As with all plants and herbs, do not take them internally unless you have consulted with your doctor first. Just because it is "natural" does not mean it is "safe". Be well!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

I was so delighted when my husband ran out of his favored shave cream. It was my chance to trick him into agreeing to allow me to craft a homespun pot of shave cream for him. I fashioned my first batch from a recipe I found on the internet. I tested it out by shaving my legs with it and was not 100% impressed. I tweaked it a bit by adding a few of my own favorite oils and ingredients and the final product was slick and super moisturizing. My husband is truly enjoying my version, plus he is saving a great deal of money. I made my version for less than $10 compared to his store-bought boutique brand that cost almost $30.

In a large glass measuring cup set on a canning jar ring in a pot of simmering water, add the Sandalwood Hydrosol, E-Wax and Boabab Seed Oil. Heat until the E-wax is melted and the liquid has turned white. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture emulsified. Heat the Aloe Vera Gel to 120 degrees and place in a blender. On low speed, blend in the Xanthan gum and Bentonite Clay until a paste forms. Turn the blender back on low speed and in a slow steady stream add in the Macadamia Oil, the Glycerin and then the Witch Hazel.

Test the temperature of both mixtures and as soon as they cooled to room temperature and are within 5 degrees of each other you are ready to incorporate them together. With the blender on low speed, slowly pour the lotion mixture in the blender. Use a spatula to clean down the sides if needed. As soon as a thick cream forms, add in the Grapefruit Seed Extract and the Essential Oils. Blend for a few seconds to incorporate and you are finished. Transfer product to a sterile jar(s).

I instructed my hubby to use a spatula to remove the desired amount of product that he needs per shave to a small bowl and to use his shave cream brush to apply the product. It is not a good idea to dip the brush directly into the container. Use within 60 days!

Avoid getting products in eyes and nose. As with all essential oils, never use them undiluted. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Hazelnut oil is known for its astringent qualities and because of this, it is best used for those who have oily skin but do not want to abstain from using oils. It also makes a lovely carrier oil for those of us who want to add its benefits to our essential oil experience. You can find it at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Calendula Oil is a very emollient and healing oil that is soothing and good for inflammation and dry or sensitive skin. I use this for making salves, lotions and lip balms. You can choose your favorite oil such as Almond, Apricot Kernel, Argan, Grapeseed, Macadamia Nut, Hemp seed or Olive Oil. I like to use Grapeseed Oil since it makes a great oil for body care products, especially for face creams and facial oils.

You can purchase ready-made Calendula Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs for around $14 for a 4 ounce jar, but I think you will have a good time making your own homespun batch. You can purchase both whole and powdered Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis) from Mountain Rose Herbs. I choose to purchase the whole dried flowers for right around $2.00 per ounce and grind them at home in a spice grinder. I trust the quality of the USA grown Calendula flowers that Mountain Rose Herbs offers.

Lets begin..........

Measure out 1/2 ounce of dried Calendula Flowers.

Grind the flowers into a very fine powder. I use a spice grinder.

Place the powder in a sterilized jar. Make sure the jar is totally dry. Even a small amount of moisture can make your oil go rancid.

Cover the powder with your oil of choice. I used grapeseed oil and I filled the jar with oil to within 1/4-inch from the top. I used a clean wooden stick to stir the powder into the oil.

Label a brown paper lunch sack with the date you made the oil, the ingredients and their amounts. Also write down when the oil will be ready (usually two weeks later). Place the jar of oil inside the bag and close the top.

Since I made this batch in October, I am placing it over a heater vent for the next two weeks (gently shake it up daily). If it were Summer, I would place it in a window that receives direct sunlight. DO NOT place it near a heat source that will catch the bag on fire!!! If it is really cool in your home, just allow the oil to infuse for an extra week or so.

After two weeks (or three, or four....) you simply strain the oil from the herb and press the remaining pulp. Bottle your oil in an amber colored glass jar, cap it tightly, place a label on it and keep it in a cool dark place. Use it up within 3 months if possible. Stay tuned to Fresh-Picked Beauty for recipes on how to use your Calendula Infused Oil.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A wonderful substance secreted by worker honeybees. Mountain Rose Herbs line of pure, filtered, cosmetic grade bees wax comes from beekeepers in the United States that they have a wonderful working relationship with. Use it for cosmetics, salves, body care products, lotions and you can melt it down to make your own aromatic candles. Pure bees wax with no filler, synthetics, debris, or foreign fragrances.

Beeswax is produced by the (female) worker honeybees. The wax is secreted from wax glands on the underside of the bee's abdomen and is molded into six-sided cells which are filled with honey, then capped with more wax. When honey is harvested, the top layer of wax that covers the cells, or the cappings, must be removed from each hexagon-shaped cell. Just to put it into perspective, one pound of wax requires the bees to consume about ten pounds of honey! Beeswax works well in cosmetic products because of the “wax esthers” that exist in both beeswax and human skin and it is these compounds which help to bind and emulsify ointments, lipsticks and lotions. As a natural hydrating ingredient that increases essential moisture in skin, it is commonly found in hand and body creams that help retain natural skin moisture and in the relief of itching from sensitive skin. Beeswax has an irritation potential of zero, and a comedogenicity rating of 0 - 2, which means that when formulated and used correctly in cosmetic formulations, beeswax will not cause a problem or clog the pores, but brings a host of very positive attributes, such as general healing and softening, as an antiseptic, and an emollient to cosmetic products. In foaming cosmetics such as skin and body detergents, beeswax improves skin compatibility and reduces the aggressive properties of surfactants, while in shampoos and hair conditioners it improves the condition and the manageability of the hair. Even after processing, it still remains a biologically active product, retaining some anti-bacterial properties and also contains some vitamin A, which is necessary for normal cell development. In folk medicine beeswax was used as an anticeptic for wound healing and beeswax ear candles were used for ear wax removal. They are believed to be able to heal ear infection and improve hearing by removing the wax inside the ear.

Listed below are some of the many reasons Beeswax is used in cosmetics:

It is easily incorporated in water and oil emulsions

It is an excellent emollient and support for moisturizers

It gives skin protective action of a non-occlusive type

It gives good "body" (consistency) to emulsions, oil and gels

It reinforces the action of detergents

It increases the protective action of sunscreens

Its elasticity and plasticity improve product efficacy by allowing thinner films and

It provides greater permanence on skin and lip surfaces

It does not provoke allergic reactions

It is compatible with many cosmetic ingredients

Beeswax is very frequently used in the following cosmetic applications:

cleansing creams

cold creams and lotions

emollient and barrier creams

depilatories

lipsticks - protective sticks in general

nail creams

sun protection products

eye and face make up

foundation creams

Of particular Note

The melting point for Beeswax is approximately 140 to 150 Degrees F. Beeswax should only be melted in an approved electric wax melter, crock pot, microwave oven, or double boiler. Do not melt beeswax in a pan directly on a stove under direct heat. Beeswax is mildly flammable and will start on fire if the wax comes in direct contact with a flame

Precautions

People with bee allergies should not use beeswax as it could cause interactions.

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.